Tuesday, January 24, 2017

Manchester’s
Parks, Recreation & Cemetery Division is pleased to announce that the 2017 Clement M. Lemire Hockey Tournament
will begin in March.Named for the
long-time Parks Superintendent who initiated the event, the tournament makes
use of the cities two ice arenas and allows students in Manchester to compete
in a fun city-wide event that promotes ice hockey.

The tournament will have two divisions: 3rd - 5th
graders and 6th - 8th graders from around the city.
Practices and games will begin immediately following the conclusion of the high school season. Applications have been distributed to all elementary and middle schools for students to bring home.Applications
must be returned to the schools by Thursday,
February 17, 2017. No applications
will be accepted after this date.

Games will
be played Monday through Friday at either the JFK Coliseum or West Side Ice
Arena, between the hours of 3:00 pm and 8:00 pm.The Tournament will last two to three weeks,
and teams will play up to 5 games per week. All players must have the proper
equipment to participate in the event. A
fee of $15.00 (check or money
order only) will be charged to cover cost necessary to run the tournament.Please make checks payable to MRYHA (Manchester Regional Youth Hockey
Association).

The
Department is also soliciting volunteers to assist in organizing, officiating
or coaching the event. For more information contact Erik Bukowski at
(603)792-5349 or email:ebukowski@manchesternh.gov.You may also contact Eva LaPeer from the
Manchester Parks, Recreation and Cemetery Division at (603)624-6444 with
questions.

Wednesday, January 18, 2017

A recent incident outside one of our schools prompted Dr. Vargas to write a letter which emphasizes that our schools are
proud of and celebrate the diversity of our students and staff. Manchester School District will
continue to discredit any messages that contradict the American values of
inclusion and respect. It is our sincere hope that all members of our community
support the school district in fostering those values, particularly in
interactions with children.

Dear Families and Community Members of the
Manchester School District:

I am writing to share
details of a racially charged incident that took place at one of our schools yesterday morning. A sign reading “Diversity
is a codeword for white genocide” was posted on the fence outside of The
Middle School at Parkside sometime overnight. The sign is part of a bigger
campaign known as the White Genocide Project, which according to their website
“believes the present day social policy
of ‘diversity’ is nothing more than a coordinated campaign of genocide against
White people.”

The sign was removed as
soon as it was discovered, and an investigation is underway. It is extremely unfortunate
that the person or persons who hung the sign chose a school as the venue to express
such ideas. The Manchester School
District finds this act of bias deplorable and we denounce it. The true measure
of our character is how we choose to respond.

This is an opportunity
for adults and children to demonstrate appreciation and understanding for our
diverse backgrounds and culture and to reinforce our shared values of respect
and inclusion. The Manchester School District is a place where all students are
free to learn in a safe and welcoming environment. This is the focus of our continued
work. I ask that you assist us in this mission by being mindful of what you are
seeing and hearing with regard to this latest incident, and report any
information to your son or daughter’s school principal.

Manchester School
District stands firm in its belief that all children deserve equal opportunity
and access to the highest quality of learning and life. And, we believe that
incidents such as this one are isolated and limited to the few, while the
majority of our great city celebrates our uniqueness and diversity in many
ways.

Wednesday, January 11, 2017

On Wednesday, March 29, 2017, Manchester High School West is hosting a school-wide Career Day. The structure will be different from similar events that often follow a "career fair"-type format in which professionals representing various fields set up displays and wait to be approached by interested students.

At West, every teacher will be matched with a guest speaker related to his or her subject area. For example, in the math department, one teacher may host an accountant while other math teachers host a stockbroker or a carpenter. Students will follow their regular schedules and be introduced to a different career field with each class change.

Speakers are asked to give a hands-on or interactive presentation to the classes they meet. West is offering full-day and half-day sessions for interested professionals. Lunch will be provided in all sessions.

Tuesday, January 10, 2017

Every year, the Career and Technical Education
students at Manchester School of Technology build a house. Every year, that house
is put on the market for anyone in the community to buy. Last year’s three-bedroom,
three-bathroom home sold for $325,000! Proceeds from the sale go back into the program.

Supervised by their professional instructors in the
carpentry, plumbing, electrical, and HVAC trades, the students do nearly 100%
of the work it takes to build the house. You are invited to see this year’s
building in progress. The walls inside have not yet been sheetrocked, so visitors
will have the opportunity to see all the plumbing and electrical work. The
house is located on a street where about two dozen other MST homes have been
built over the years.

Current high school sophomores from Manchester, Londonderry,
Bedford, and Goffstown interested in enrolling in MST’s two-year CTE program to
learn those skills are encouraged to attend this special open house, ask
questions, and see what can be accomplished by students in one school year.

Friday, January 6, 2017

Members of the Webster Elementary School staff and administration spent an evening this week serving meals at New Horizons for New Hampshire. It was the first time they'd done this as a group, but we hear it's going to be a regular event, and they're already scheduling the next date!

Principal Sarah Lynch is proud of her school and the people who make it special.

"I am learning, as I am still new here, that the staff at Webster go above and beyond the call of duty in every way. It warms my heart to be part of a team that wholeheartedly cares about how they impact the surrounding community and consistently work together," she said.

Tuesday, January 3, 2017

Manchester School District is one of 433 school districts in the U.S. and Canada being honored by the College Board with placement on the 7th Annual AP® District Honor Roll. The distinction recognizes that since 2014, Manchester has increased the number of students participating in Advanced Placement courses while also increasing or maintaining the percentage of students earning AP Exam scores of 3 or higher. Reaching these goals shows that Manchester is successfully identifying motivated, academically prepared students who are ready for AP.

“Our teachers, administrators, families and counselors encourage students to challenge themselves in various AP subjects that include world history, physics, English literature, computer science, and studio art,” said Superintendent Dr. Bolgen Vargas. “More students every year are committed to raising the bar on achievement goals, and the teachers work hard with students to prepare them well for the exams.”

National data from 2016 show that among black/African American, Hispanic, and Native American students with a high degree of readiness for AP, only about half are participating. The first step to getting more of these students to participate is to give them access. Courses must be made available, gatekeeping must stop, and doors must be equitably opened. Manchester School District is committed to expanding the availability of AP courses among prepared and motivated students of all backgrounds.

“Congratulations to all the teachers and administrators in Manchester who have worked so tirelessly to both expand access to AP and also to help students succeed on the AP Exams,” said Trevor Packer, the College Board’s head of AP and Instruction. “These teachers and administrators are delivering real opportunity in their schools and classrooms, and students are rising to the challenge.”

In 2016, more than 4,000 colleges and universities around the world received AP scores for college credit, advanced placement, or both, and/or consideration in the admission process.

Inclusion on the 7th Annual AP District Honor Roll is based on a review of a district’s AP data over the most recent three years, from 2014 to 2016.

Districts must:

●increase participation/access to AP by at least 4% in large districts, at least 6 % in medium districts, and at least 11% in small districts; Manchester is a medium-sized district and saw an increase of 49.8% over those two years. A closer look at the increase reveals that in 2014, Manchester’s enrollment of black and Latino students was at 18 and 58 respectively. In 2016, 81 black students and 91 Latino students were enrolled in AP courses.

●increase or maintain the percentage of exams taken by black/African American, Hispanic/Latino, and American Indian/Alaska Native students who scored 3+ on at least one AP Exam; the rate in Manchester rose from 7% in 2014 to 50% in 2016.

●improve or maintain performance levels when comparing the 2016 percentage of students scoring a 3 or higher to the 2014 percentage, unless the district has already attained a performance level at which more than 70% of its AP students earn a 3 or higher; Manchester’s percentage of those students scoring at least a 3 in 2016 was 83%, up from 75% in 2014.

Some of Manchester’s success can be attributed to an increase in the number of AP course offerings, up from 11 to 17 over the past three years, which generates more student interest in pursuing various subjects. Additionally, AP teachers in Manchester have participated in a week-long summer study session the past few years. The AP Institute provides those teachers with training on instruction of the advanced placement subject matter and prepare students for the exams. There’s also an ongoing effort in every high school by teachers and counselors who see the potential in their students to recruit them for AP courses.

This is Manchester School District’s second time on the AP Honor Roll, having earned the recognition in 2014. The complete 7th Annual AP District Honor Roll can be found online.